Somewhere in Staples’ new ad campaign, a store employee slides a roll of toilet paper under a bathroom stall door because the restroom ran out mid-shift, and a sign meant to read “Shirts” gets printed as something considerably ruder instead. These are the Hard moments. Then a Staples delivery person appears, soap gets restocked before…

A plumber stands at a counter with paperwork he needs shredded and quotes he needs printed. A portal opens beside him, and a woman in a blue polo shirt and black pants steps through to handle it. That is one of the first 30-second spots for Blu, and the choice worth noticing is that the…